Ned Yost

1.1. Childhood and Education

Yost was born in Eureka, on California's North Coast. He attended Dublin High School in Dublin, California, where he also played baseball. Prior to his junior and senior years, Yost faced significant difficulty with his hitting. He improved this aspect of his game after building physical strength by working as a pot-scrubber at a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. After high school, Yost attended Chabot Junior College in Hayward, California. He joined Chabot's baseball team as a walk-on because he had not received any offers to play for other schools.

1.2. Early Career (Pre-Playing)

Between his professional playing career and his coaching career, Yost briefly pursued a second career as a taxidermist in Jackson, Mississippi.

4.1. Milwaukee Brewers

On October 29, 2002, Yost was named the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, succeeding Jerry Royster. His leadership saw a revitalization of the Brewers franchise, transforming them from a team with losing records into a championship contender. In recognition of his efforts, National League manager Tony La Russa named Yost to his coaching staff for the 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Despite the team's overall improvement, Yost's tenure was characterized by inconsistency. Most notably, the Brewers squandered a substantial division lead during the 2007 season and a significant advantage in the wild card race in 2008. In 2007, the Brewers held an 8½ game division lead over the Chicago Cubs by June 23 but ultimately failed to maintain it, finishing two games behind the Cubs. This led to criticism of Yost's bullpen management, lineup strategies, and bench management. He was also ejected from three games in the final week of the 2007 season. Despite these criticisms, general manager Doug Melvin announced Yost's return for the 2008 season. Yost finished seventh in the voting for Manager of the Year in 2007. As a manager, he chose to wear No. 3 on his jersey, a tribute to his close friend, the late NASCAR racer and baseball fan Dale Earnhardt.

Yost was fired as manager on September 15, 2008, with twelve games remaining in the regular season. Although the Brewers were still in the playoff race, they had lost eleven of their last fourteen games. He concluded his Brewers career with a record of 457 wins and 502 losses. Third-base coach Dale Sveum was named his interim replacement and successfully led the Brewers to clinch the wild card spot on the last day of the season, marking their first trip to the postseason since their 1982 World Series appearance. However, the Brewers were eliminated by the Philadelphia Phillies, the eventual World Series champions, in four games during the 2008 National League Division Series. Following the 2009 season, Yost was considered as a candidate for the manager position of the Houston Astros, but the role was ultimately filled by Brad Mills.

4.2. Kansas City Royals

On May 13, 2010, Ned Yost was named manager of the Kansas City Royals, succeeding Trey Hillman. Prior to the 2012 season, the Royals extended Yost's contract through the 2013 season. In 2013, he guided the Royals to an 86-76 record, marking the team's first winning season since 2003.

In 2014, Yost led the Royals to their first playoff berth since 1985, finishing the regular season with an 89-73 record. His Royals swept the Baltimore Orioles in four games in the American League Championship Series, securing the team's first American League pennant in 29 years. In achieving this, the team became the first in MLB history to win their first eight consecutive playoff games. The Royals were subsequently defeated in seven games by the San Francisco Giants in the 2014 World Series. Yost finished third in the voting for the 2014 Manager of the Year award and signed a one-year contract extension in the offseason to remain with the club through 2016.

The 2015 season began with Yost leading the team to a 7-0 start, which was the second-best start to a season in team history, following the 2003 Royals who won their first nine games. In his fifth full season as manager, Yost became the longest-tenured manager in Royals history. He further solidified his place in team history on June 18, 2015, after a 3-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, becoming the winningest manager in Royals club history, surpassing Whitey Herzog (410 wins) and Dick Howser (404 wins) with his 411th win. On the final day of the 2015 regular season, Yost's Royals clinched the best record in the American League at 95-67, securing home field advantage throughout the playoffs, including the World Series, by virtue of the AL's victory in the All-Star Game. The Royals went on to defeat the Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, and ultimately the New York Mets, bringing Kansas City its first World Series championship since 1985, and Yost his first title as a manager.

On August 18, 2015, MLB issued a warning to Yost regarding his use of an Apple Watch in the dugout during game time, citing the league's policy against internet-enabled devices. Yost had received the watch as a gift from MLB for winning the 2014 AL pennant. He later informed a local radio station that MLB had rescinded the warning upon learning that the Apple Watch's networking features were only available when actively connected to an iPhone.

On February 18, 2016, the Royals announced that Yost had signed an extension, keeping him as manager through the 2018 season. On September 17, 2016, Yost earned the 1,000th victory of his managerial career in the Royals' 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. In both 2016 and 2018, Yost was successful on a higher percentage of replay challenges than any other MLB manager with ten or more challenges, achieving 67.6% success in 2016 and 75.6% in 2018.

On September 23, 2019, Yost announced his retirement, effective at the end of the 2019 season. He concluded his Royals career with 746 wins and 839 losses, both of which stand as franchise records for a manager in Royals history.

6.1. Managerial Style and Criticism

Ned Yost's managerial approach often drew criticism for its distinctive style, particularly his idiosyncratic decision-making and his skepticism toward Sabermetrics. He was frequently questioned regarding his methods, especially concerning the arrangement of his batting order and his bullpen management strategies. Despite these controversies, Yost consistently defended his approach, asserting that his methods were essential for instilling confidence in his teams. He famously once stated, "I've been known as a dope my whole life. And I took a team to the World Series that hadn't been to the playoffs in 29 years. And now everyone knows them. And I'm still a big dope. But it doesn't matter. What does it matter?" This quote encapsulates his philosophy, highlighting his focus on team morale and results over external validation or adherence to analytical trends.

7.1. Playing Statistics

7.2. Managerial Statistics